- For 2 to 6 players
- 60 Min Playing Time
- Age: 8+
- For 1-7 Players
- 30 minute playing time
- Great strategy game
- For 2 to 6 players
- 100 building tiles
- 6 info cards
- For 2 to 4 players
- 30-120 Playing Time Minutes
- Ages: 12+
- For 2 to 4 players
- 60–120 Min Playing Time
- Age: 14+
Choose the Best Economic Board Game
Customer’s Choice: the Best Rated Economic Board Games
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Economic board games simulate real or fictitious market relations. Typically, the players begin with small start-up capital, and then gradually turn into a business tycoon or create a powerful empire.Monopoly is not the only economic board game that you may play with friends and family. This guide features top 5 board games that teach the basics of business and economics. You will learn how to handle money, plan a family budget or just learn about the economy as a science.
Some titles can be great to play with all family members. If you are not sure about the age appropriateness, number of players or session time, check the comparison table below. The buying guide gives good recommendations for picking the best board games as well.
Table of Contents
Hasbro The Game of Life Board Game – the best for family gaming nights!
The Game of Life stands for a board game developed by Milton Bradley back in 1860. It was also known as “Life” back then. The 115 cards with the exciting options made to this version of the game.
How to play: It is one of the most intuitive and simplest board games. Turn the Spinner, transfer the specified number of spaces and then operate on the vacuum. Any switch, if it stops for a requisite stopping area, pays out Paydays, which have passed irrespective of if they stop or not.
| Pros | Cons |
| Classic family gaming night | Stocks and insurance cards are not included |
| Quick setup | Too many action cards |
| Easy to learn the rules | – |
| This real-life simulator teaches kids how to handle adult duties and family budget | – |
The Game of Life brings the player from school to retirement, to live activities like a job, to marriage, to buy a house and to have children.
Mayfair Games Caverna: The Cave Farmers– the best for the replay!
You are the head of a little band of dwarves residing in a tiny mountain grotto in Mayfair Games Caverna. You expand the forest together before your cave and reach deeper into the rock. You have the cellars as residences and small businesses.| Pros | Cons |
| One of the best board games for replay | The package is easy to destroy – not good for outdoor play |
| Can become a good pick for teens | Pricey |
| A good economic strategy title with the fantasy-driven plot | Resembles Agricola a lot |
| Play solo or with friends/family | – |
| Meaningful gameplay | – |
Hasbro Gaming Acquire Game – the best for co-op play!
People who play the Acquire game invest strategically in businesses to preserve a plurality of stocks. The firms then start to merge, as the tile investments expand, providing a big profit to the remainder of the companies acquired to reinvest in other chains.| Pros | Cons |
| One of the best classic board games about business | The numbers on the cards are hard to read |
| A long session time | Game money is also small – easy to lose these pieces |
| Helps to develop competitive and cooperative skills at the same time | – |
| Good replayability | – |
Karma Games KAR38205 Clans of Caledonia– the best for user-friendliness!
To satisfy contracts by constructing an infrastructure to supply a variety of farm products, Clans Caledonia offers to take responsibility for one of the Scottish clans. Is it the production limit for the Caledonia Clans, or is the ship sailing without its cargo? To find out, read on the rules.How to play: The player creates a clan at the beginning of the game, each with its specific strength. They involve selling milk, aged whiskey in barrels for more income, spreading across sea areas, etc.
| Pros | Cons |
| Variable scenarios and strategies to play | Endgame scoring can be complicated to grasp |
| Rules are easy to explain and learn | Misbalance – some clans are more powerful |
| The components are done manually, with top-notch quality | – |
| An unusual setting for an economic game | – |
Roxley Games Brass: Lancashire– the best for the balance!
Brass is an economic and strategy game that shows the story of rival cotton merchants during the industrial revolution in Lancashire. You have to grow, construct and establish a network and factories that demand iron, coal and cotton to be able to thrive.| Pros | Cons |
| Equally good for the two-, three-, four-player experience | The new version is a bit “dark” – won’t do for little kids |
| Consistent balance | Not good for a solo play |
| Eco-friendly materials are used | – |
| High-quality components | – |
| Dynamic and evolving gameplay | – |
The Buyer’s Guide
Materials
If you play board game titles with friends and family, especially little kids, you may want to consider the major materials used for making the game’s components. The most common materials used by board game manufacturers are:
Wood – the eco-friendly material for pets and kids. But such games are quite heavy;
The cardboard is lightweight and colorful. There are recycled cardboard materials;
Metal is also heavy but it can’t be broken easily;
Plastic pieces are the most common when it comes to board games. It is lightweight, colorful and bright. But it’s not quite eco-friendly;
Weight
Surely, the weight of the box where you store an economic board game is not very relevant if you are planning to transport it. However, if you prefer playing at the camping site or during a road trip, you may want to pack a lightweight package with the favorite board game.
The weight of a board game title may vary from light (up to 1 pound of all components and the package) and heavy (from 4 to 5 pounds).
Number of players
Many players do not watch or pay close attention to such an indicator of a board game as the number of players. No matter how interesting the game is, if it is designed for 4 people, then there is no point in bringing it to the group of 10+ people. In addition, even if you assume that everyone will play it in turn, it will divide you and generally give you a dubious experience.
Is it easy to learn?
A good board game title should be quick to learn by all the players. Settle for a board game with a few basic rules that are not challenging to understand if you are going to play with beginners or kids. Simple and explicit directions should be given.
The best kind of board game for a party is simple to play. It may be disincentive if a board game requires longer than a few minutes to understand.
Is it easy to set up?
In addition to being simple to play, the board game should also be simple to set and clean up after a gaming session. It should be supplied with a minimum number of pieces in its kit to avoid stress or boredom when setting up the game. A good board game is a simple board game that is also easy to store. The pieces included in the board game should be quickly gathered. The board game may end being useless when one or two pieces are lost.
Age appropriateness
Age plays a crucial part in ensuring that a board game produces the most positive results to all the involved players. That is why each board game is checked and labeled with a certain age limit. The Federal government oversees the board gaming industry to ensure all the licensed developers correctly produce and mark their board games appropriately to the player’s age.
These age labels are focused on a set of standards, specifically to the welfare of underage gamers. For instance, some board games can include too tiny parts that can be accidentally swallowed by little kids. Surely, such games are forbidden to be set and played in front of kids of a certain age. Make sure the board game suits the age span of all the players.
The length of a playing session
The best board game can require just 15 to 30 minutes per session. This amount of playing time must be adequate to keep all the players entertained without causing stress or boredom. Game night for the family should be fun and interesting. Yeah, it’s called game night, but it’s not meant to mean it’s actually going to take all night to complete a game.
Final thoughts
It is essential to get an understanding of the sort of interactivity you are looking for from the board game title. There are some games built for several players, though some are supposed to help a limited number of beginners. The reason you like the economic board game mostly relies on your desire to decide what fascinates you.
Video Tutorial: Caverna the Cave Farmers (Solo Playthrough)
